In The Clutch Of Circumstance
by Masako Moonshade
Summary: Ten years before the movie, a demon rises up to conquer Halloween, and an outcast is forced to take sides in a fierce war. PG for violence.
1. Raised Dust

In the Clutch of Circumstance

In the fell clutch of circumstance,

I have not winced nor cried aloud;

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

-William Earnest Henley

Disclaimer: I do not own the Nightmare Before Christmas. I do not own the above poems. I technically don't even own the idea for this story.

AN: I actually got the idea from an RPG called Epiphany, which has been abandoned by all but me since about December of 2002. Pretty sad, huh? If you want to join me on Epiphany, I'm sorry, but it's closed and dead. I have, however, started an RPG at tcot . avidgamers . com.

The poems are courtesy of Encarta. I'd like to try starting every chapter with a quote or something like that, so tell me if you like it.

Also, I am strictly against swearing. Please, please, please, if you see me use a word that you find offensive, inform me _immediately._ I will then update as soon as humanly possible and replace it with something else. But just in case, I feel the need to inform you that I live an extremely sheltered life and own a big thesaurus, so I honestly don't know if some of the things I write are swearwords.

Okay, now that I have sufficiently bored you with my notes and half of my life story, R&R, and enjoy!

AN: Oh yes, and to avoid confusion, this takes place a few years before TNBC. Just so you know.

Chapter 1: Raised Dust

We have first raised a dust and then complain we cannot see.

-Bishop Berkeley

Halo flew effortlessly through the air above Halloween. She glided over the many houses, until, at last, she came to Jack's tower. She landed gracefully and sat on the sill of one of the many windows, and tapped on the glass with one finger. A moment later, the window opened and the Pumpkin King poked his skeletal head out from it, bracing himself.

"What news?" He asked.

"Another attack on the Barricade, sir." Halo said gravely. "Seven injured. None dead."

"At least one good thing. Has everyone been taken to Doctor Finklestien?"

"He's swamped as is, but yes. The overflow is being taken care of by Sally, his assistant. His neonate, as well, I suppose."

"Good. Anything else?"

"The Barricade is weakening. There are too many fractures, all too widely spread. Whenever someone is sent to fix it, they are sent back half dead. Whenever someone lasts long enough to make repairs, the damages are redone immediately, and worse. I'm afraid they will break through soon."

"We'll be there to meet them."

"I hope so. But for now, I don't think they're about to do anything major yet. There isn't any formation. Only random attacks. For now, anyway. And there isn't any distinct effort on the Barricade. There's still time."

"Time for what, I wonder," Jack said.

"I don't know, sir," Halo said. "I don't know."

Halo finished her report and took to the skies again. She flew for another half-hour, checking the Barricade for any further damages, then rested her wings in the branches of a weeping willow tree. Once she was safely in the boughs of the willow, she folded her wings against her back and drifted to sleep.

It was a strong tree, deep in the graveyard and away from many people, but it still made Halo sleep uneasily. She was used to sleeping deep in the forest, with no creature, living or dead for miles in any direction. It used to be that she would sleep in the forests, then glide over the town of Halloween during the day, staying always out of the way, soaring higher and higher like some great bird, circling, watching, remembering.

But then the fighting started. One of the monsters, a powerful one, started challenging Jack for the position of Pumpkin King. People began to get tense. The town split cleanly, some of its citizens remaining loyal to Jack, others siding with the challenger. The challenger, Pset, was beaten, and with him went a small army of werewolves, demons, devils, phantoms and ghouls. They moved into the forests and wild lands, and were quickly joined by the few exiles of Halloween. One of those exiles had been Halo, though she had chosen not to side with Pset. At first she was shunned for her lack of support, but soon threats began to pursue her. Threats turned to reality, and she fled the attacks of Pset's followers, until at last she was forced to stay within the borders of Halloween Town. The attacks stopped there. None of them wanted to deal with Jack. Halo's hide wasn't worth that.

A month later, they began to attack Halloween Town. Dozens of innocent people were hurt, some almost killed, before the Barricade could be set up. The Barricade, and a small volunteer defense force, and Jack were all that stood between Pset and Halloween.

Halo woke up, stretching, an hour before the sun began to rise, as always. She quickly checked the Barricade, but it had suffered no further damage during the night. She turned and sailed over town, searching for any sign of change or trouble.

One of the witches, Grizelda, looked skyward as a dark shadow fell over her. She recognized the dark shape in the sky as Halo's and shook her head. Jack had handpicked that girl for her duties, though Grizelda couldn't understand why. Halo had long since proven herself worthless. Recognizance, Jack had said. Grizelda shook her head again. She didn't see how that girl could do anything to help Halloween, or even if she would remain loyal to Jack when things got worse, but Jack trusted her. For the moment, that was enough. She would trust Jack's decision.

Halo felt as well as saw the icy stares of the townspeople. It hurt a bit, but the edge had long since left their hostility. She was no more than an old sore in the back of their minds. Still scanning the ground below her, Halo allowed herself to drift into memory.

"Hey, angel, where's your Halo?"

"Forgot your Halo, angel?"

"Oh, look, a little black angel, how cute. Does it have a little black Halo too?" She had been taunted about her appearance as long as she could remember. Her shining black hair, her razor claws and fangs, her tense obsidian eyes, slitted like a cats', and her huge bat-like wings, black as well, were proud marks of her demonic nature. But they only added to the ridicule. Everyone agreed: Halo was too slender to be a real demon, her skin was too creamy, too soft. Her claws were too short, and her fangs almost nonexistent. She was too weak to be any fun to play with, unable to carry more than a few dozen pounds when she took to the skies. Her screams and moans were pathetic. She couldn't scare even the smallest child. In most respects, she was more like an angel than a demon, and the ridicule of Halloween.

"Halo-less," they called her. "Halo-less, sing us a song! Play us something on your harp!"

"Halo! Halo! Do you have any frilly bows I could borrow?"

"Halo!"

"Halo!"

"Halo!"

And so that became her name. If she had a name before it, it was long since forgotten. For years she had tried to fit in. She had worked tirelessly to scare someone, anyone. But every attempt failed miserably. And every time she failed, the taunting and shame grew worse. It came to the point where anyone who looked at her either laughed at her or hung his head in shame. One day Halo decided she couldn't take any more of their abuse, and she left. She had lived in the Forgotten Forest ever since.

Halo was shaken from her memories by a shout from below.

"Go home, Halo!" it was the Oogie Boogie Man. He had never given her peace. "Go home! We don't want a little black angel like you in this town. Go back to the forest and stay there. Hear me? Stay there!" Halo set her jaw and continued flying. Oogie Boogie was telling the truth, of course. Nobody actually wanted her there. Blast, she didn't want to be there. She would never have returned to Halloween Town if not for Pset and his followers.

She flew at an easy speed over the Barricade, and then over hostile territory. She saw the masses beneath the trees. Many of them sneered as she passed. Some threw rocks at her, though none of them could throw high enough to hit her. Careful to avoid their efforts, she scouted. Pset was rallying his minions, pausing briefly to glare at Halo as she passed overhead. This was nothing new. Pset's forces needed daily encouragement to even consider defying the Pumpkin King. A small party was preparing to sabotage the Barricade again, apparently on the southern side. She made a note to tell Jack about it when she got back that night. All seemed relatively quiet. Almost in a lull. She enjoyed the peace for the moment and retreated into herself.

Once she had made up her mind to escape from Pset's followers, Halo found herself sorely lacking a place to sleep. In the end, she decided to spend the night in town, then look for a new place to live in the morning. It would have to be somewhere far away, somewhere out of reach of ridicule and abuse and Pset and Halloween.

She got sleep that night, but little rest. If the townspeople found her, she would certainly feel their wrath. The night passed fretfully, and in turn, she slept in. When she awoke, she was surrounded by dozens of the angry residents, all of them shouting up at her.

"Go home, Halo!" they howled, "Get lost, you black angel! We don't want you here! A useless wretch like you has no place in Halloween!" Halo would gladly have left immediately, if it hadn't been for Lock, Shock, and Barrel. She wasn't sure witch of them had started it, but one of the three children picked up a stone and sent it flying, until it stopped dead, hitting her squarely in the chest. Instinctively, her wings folded against her back, defended against being broken or torn by any more flying objects. True enough, another rock flew through the air, this one catching her in the shoulder, drawing blood. More rocks were sent flying, until the air was thick with chunks of stone. Halo cowered against the trunk of the tree, trying to protect her head with her arms, hoping that the townspeople's aim continued as badly as it had been. Just then, there was a sharp cry, and the hurled stones thinned until the sky was clear.

"It's Jack!" one of the witches called out.

"Jack!"

"He'll get rid of Halo!"

"You'll be sorry you came back, angel," The crowd parted, and the lone, skeletal figure of the Pumpkin King walked slowly to the tree.

"What is going on here?" he commanded. Halo cringed. She felt betrayed, and it hurt more than the stoning had. It was a hundred times more painful than the taunting and shame had been.

"That Exile had the nerve to show her face here!" declared the mayor. "Right after all that commotion over Pset, too!" Halo remained silent. Jack turned to face her, and she became acutely aware of the blood running down the side of her face. She turned away, bracing for the worst.

"I'm sorry I caused any trouble." She said. "I'll be on my way." she opened her wings to take flight, but Jack interrupted.

"Halo, come down here." He said. For a moment, Halo hesitated. She was in trouble and she knew it. Jack couldn't fly. None of the crowd below could. If she left now, if she simply lifted off and never came back...

She beat her wings a few times and glided slowly to the ground in front of Jack, readied for whatever punishment he had in mind.

"You're hurt pretty badly," he said evenly. "But I think Dr. Finklestien will be able to patch you up." This was not what Halo had expected. She stood in shock for a moment. "Well, come on," Jack said. "Can you walk?" Still in shock, Halo nodded, then gingerly followed the Pumpkin King.

"Hey!" one of the townspeople shouted, "Aren't you going to punish her?" Many of the others also recovered from their stupor and began murmuring in agreement. Jack stopped and turned around.

"What for?" he said. "As far as I know, this girl has done nothing wrong. Or am I mistaken?"

"She doesn't belong here!" shouted Oogie Boogie. "She left a long time ago, and I say good riddance! Why should we let a deserter like her back into this town?"

"Who does and doesn't belong here isn't for you do decide, Oogie," Jack said evenly. "Now, if anyone has any real arguments, they can take them out with me later. Now, if you please," he turned and led Halo away from the crowd, to Dr. Finklestien's dome. Under Jack's order, the doctor bandaged her cuts and treated her bruises. One of the stones had cut her side, and she wasn't to fly for the next day. Dr. Finklestien, it turned out, was very tolerant about Halo's lack of intimidation. He had, in fact, recently created a young girl, Sally, who shared the unusual trait. Halo stayed in Finklestien's dome during the day when she was forbidden to fly. It seemed far safer than the rest of town, and Sally and she were becoming fast friends.

"It looks like there'll be another attack on the southern Barricade tomorrow." Halo said. Her scouting was done for the day, and she was now giving Jack her report, as usual, from his windowsill. "Aside from that, very little. If I didn't know better, I would guess that Pset is losing steam."

"If you didn't know better?" the Pumpkin King asked.

"He's planning something. I know it..." She looked Jack in the eye. "Something's coming, sir."


	2. The Lame Dog

Disclaimer: I don't own TNBC. I don't own the chapter quote. I _wish_ I did. I'd be really really rich if I did. Not to mention really really creative. And I probably wouldn't be writing fanfictions. However, I am broke, lacking creativity, and so am doomed to write fanfictions forever. sigh

Chapter 2: The Lame Dog

You may help a lame dog over a stile but he is still a lame dog on the other side.

-Ernest Newman

Halo drifted through the sky, scanning the ground below her for anything new. Nothing appeared. It seemed that the worst of the siege was indeed over. She locked her wings in place and allowed herself to glide on the edge of the wind, receding once more into memory.

Halo had known of Jack long before she met him, even longer before the ordeal of Pset began. She had seen him around town, back when she used to live in the main of Halloween. After she left, she would still fly over the town occasionally, if just for something to do with her time. She saw him, every time. He was always walking among the people, always helping them, laughing with them. She used to feel a little jealous, thinking about how easily he was accepted. But that feeling soon passed. To her, Jack became no more than another character in the scenes that played out below her. The town itself became less and less real to her, and as the years passed, it seemed to be no more than a memory, a old scar on the back of her mind. She visited the town less and less, until it barely existed at all to her. It was ironic. People had driven her out of the town, and one of those people ended up bringing her right back.

Halo had been on the ground that day, resting against the trunk of one of the trees. She had dozed off, but woke suddenly at the sound of someone stomping through the dense foliage. From the shadows plodded a shape like a huge burlap sack. In fact, that's just what it was-the Oogie Boogie Man, hoping to cause trouble for the Exiles. Halo had seen enough. She rose and spread her wings to take off.

"Where are you going, angel wings?" Oogie snarled.

"Away from you," Halo returned coldly. She flapped her wings twice, her feet left the ground, and...

She didn't get much farther. Oogie gad grabbed a hold of her ankle, and despite all her efforts, Halo was stuck. She kicked at the glutton in the stomach, but he only caught that leg in his other hand. Halo began to panic. She was trapped, defenseless, and utterly alone.

"Get your hands off me!" she shouted, beating her wings anxiously.

"Not a chance, angel wings," Oogie returned.

"Let... me... GO!" she shrieked. Oogie jerked her down suddenly. Her wings missed a beat, and she was flung downward.

"Oh, no, you're not going anywhere!"

"_Let go of her now, Oogie_," commanded a voice. It was familiar, but...

Oogie turned around, surprised to hear anyone else so deep in the forest. A tall, thin figure emerged from the trees.

"Oh, Jack, it's _you,"_ Oogie said. "Now tell me you're not going to spoil my fun," The skeleton continued his approach.

"Don't make me repeat myself," Jack said quietly. The Boogie Man threw a worried look at Jack.

"Oh... all right, then," he threw Halo to the side. She hit one of the trees with a sick thud and slumped to the ground.

"Nobody is to be treated in such a way," Jack said. He turned toward Halo.

"You really shouldn't defend those Exiles like that," Oogie said. Halo had recovered a little from the blow. She was now looking over Jack's shoulder as he bent to help her up, at the Boogie Man raising his fist, about to bring it down over the Pumpkin King's skull...

"Look out!" she shouted. In a flash, Jack was out of the way of the strike. Just as quickly, he was in Oogie's face, delivering a few blows himself. Halo watched, transfixed, as the fighting continued, all the while calculating. Oogie was easily four times Jack's size, but he had no grace. He had no speed, no skill. Even the strength that had been enough to keep her in his clutches was nothing compared to Jack's. They fought for a few more minutes, when Jack decided that he'd had enough. He stooped down, clawed his hands, made a horrible face, and let out a blood-chilling scream. Oogie stopped dead in his tracks. He had gone as white as a sheet. Jack let loose another scream, and the Boogie Man turned and fled.

Jack waited until Oogie was out of sight, then walked again to Halo's side. The girl was still backed against the tree, still chilled from what she had witnessed. _No wonder he's the Pumpkin King,_ she thought.

"Are you all right?" he asked, reaching down to help her up. Halo hesitated. Did Jack intend to hurt her? To punish her for something? She knew well enough that he could, if he wanted. But then why did he chase Oogie away? Her mind was still racing when she took Jack's hand. With a swift pull, she was on her feet, though still dazed. "Are you all right?" Jack asked again.

"Um... yes. Thank you," Halo responded.

"Sorry about Oogie. He's obsessed with making people miserable."

"I noticed."

"Are you hurt?"

"Nothing serious. Thanks, though." She began walking in some random direction, and was surprised to find Jack keeping pace with her.

"I didn't catch your name, by the way," he said. Halo hesitated. Whatever real name she once had was long lost to her, but her current name seemed too much of a ridicule. _I have no name,_ she would have answered, but something stopped her.

"It's Halo." She said.

"Well met. I'm Jack. Jack Skellington."

"Pleased to meet you,"

The two of them talked together for a while, about random things. Jack was impressed at Halo's her honest opinion and respectful nature. She proved to have a strange, outsider's opinion, though when looked at twice, it made more sense than not. He found out, through slight prying, that she knew a good deal about the town and the way things worked. What truly amazed him, though, was the way she saw things the way they really were. She could see a problem from all angles, and even if she couldn't find a solution, she could make suggestions, and reveal ways to fix things with the least amount of strife and damage. Jack found himself wandering into the forest often, looking for advice or simply for good conversation.

Halo flew more frequently over the town, hoping to gain further insight on Jack's problems. She was eager to help, to please. For once in her life, she felt needed, and it felt wonderful.

Halo's eyes focused on a lone figure in the midst of the forest. A man, at first glance, his face covered in scars, his jet-black hair streaked with venom green. He seemed to have blue tattoos etched across his face, adding to his menace.

Pset.

He had a strong build, if a bit thin, and stood proudly, glaring up at her. But as she passed overhead, his glare changed into a grin. In an instant, he was a giant, as tall as a mountain, if not taller. The green streaks had become blood red, the scars had disappeared from his face, and the tattoos had become tiger stripes. His face, now twice the size of a horse, was now grinning evilly down at Halo, high above the treetops. Halo beat her wings madly, trying not to crash head on into the huge man. In her confusion, a hand the size of a car seized her, crushing her wings against her back and sides. Halo struggled to free herself, but the monstrous grip tightened until she couldn't breath and she cried out in pain.

Slowly, Pset began to shrink. His grip remained tight as the two of them lowered to the ground. When his hand was too small to keep Halo confined, he threw her hard against the ground, pinning her to the ground with his foot when she tried to crawl away. He continued to shrink until he was his normal size, then kicked her in the side.

"You treacherous child," he growled. "What were you thinking, helping those scatterbrained fools!" he kicked her again. Halo bit her lip. She wouldn't shout. She wouldn't raise her voice. She wouldn't say anything angry or hastily. Pset would crush her into dust if she did. She had to keep calm. "Those idiots hate you, you know. They loathe you. _Despise you._ Why do you waste your time aiding such ungrateful wretches?"

"I know they hate me," Halo said quietly.

"Then why do you remain loyal to them!" Pset hissed. "Why do you stay at their side like some loyal _dog_ if all they do is torment you!" another kick met her side.

"I'm not," Halo said. "Honestly, I couldn't care less what happens to them."

"Then why are you on their side!"

"I'm on Jack's side..."

"Oh? Is that so, you coward?" another blow hit Halo, this one sending her rolling for a few feet. "Hoping to stay on the winning side? You're pathetic!" Halo was beginning to seethe. Her side was throbbing. Blood was rushing through her ears. She could hear nothing but her heartbeat and Pset's ruthless taunting.

"What right do you have, calling me a coward," Halo said quietly. "All you do is talk big, then hide when things get tough."

"Shut up, you witch,"

"If you had any guts, you'd have fought Jack by now! You'd have done more than cower in the shadows!"

"Hold your tongue or I swear I will kill you."

"Don't I know it. You aren't afraid to kill me. I am, after all, the girl who can't scare anyone, aren't I? And I'm even less threatening alone. Of course you'd have no problem killing me. And I bet you will, just so you feel all good about yourself, you dirt bag,"

"I said SHUT UP!" there was a flash of silver, an explosion of pain, and Halo saw a knife, its blade an inch from her heart. She wondered for a moment what had stopped it, and looked up. It was her wing. Somehow, she had managed to get her right wing between Pset and her just in time, though the blade had slashed through the leathery skin.

Pset stared down at her in fury. He lunged down to seize his knife, but Halo's wing flitted to the side, and her foot came up, kicking him soundly in the stomach, sending him rolling. Halo climbed to her feet, tried to flap her wings, to fly and leave, but the slightest movement of her right wing sent her reeling in pain. She gingerly pulled the knife from her wound, folded her wings against her back, eyes watering in pain, and did all she could do.

She ran.

Pset got to his feet and watched Halo flee. He whistled three times, and a dozen demons and devils emerged from among the surrounding trees.

"I want you to follow the girl," he said quietly. "then kill her."

Halo recognized the trees around her. She was still a few miles from town, and it didn't sound like Pset was following her. Though it would be hard to tell. After all, in his fastest form, he would be absolutely silent...

Her thoughts were interrupted by a burst of howls and wild laughter. She chanced to look behind her, and saw dozens of Pset's minions running after her. Her eyes widened and she ran even faster. One of the wolfmen lunged and bit her in the shoulder. Halo gasped, twisted, and he was off her, falling in the path of her other pursuers, slowing them for a breath. A demon leapt at her, his claws raking her stomach and legs. She stumbled, hit the demon against a tree, and ran on, bleeding severely. The chase continued, her wounds multiplied, her energy seeping out of her, but the miles between her and the town were melting away. Then she saw it: the gate of Halloween town. One of the few openings in the Barricade.

"Open the gate!" she shouted desperately. Someone was behind the Barricade. Someone could hear her. Someone would let her in.

But the gate remained closed.

"Please!" she pleaded. "Someone! Anyone! Open the gate!" she was all but out of the forest now. But the gate remained closed. Her vision was beginning to fade red. She heard the growls and cries behind her growing louder. She ran up to the gate, pounding on it with her fists, as Pset's minions closed in. "Please! Open the gate! Please." Nothing happened. "Please," she said, growing dizzy. "Someone..." she couldn't see straight. "Please..." her legs gave out, and she fell to the ground, exhausted. "Help me..." she lost all consciousness. The demons began to laugh amongst themselves. How pathetic this girl was! Chasing her had been fun, but killing her would be child's play. They crept closer.

A thin figure stood on top of the Barricade.

One of the demons snorted. He'd had enough. He straightened and lunged at the defenseless Halo.

And found himself face to face with Jack Skellington. Jack glared at the demon, delivered a few blows, and the demon was thrown into the crowd of Pset's minions. They scattered, knowing enough about Jack's wrath to be well into a panic. After a few minutes, the area before the gate was clear, except for Jack and Halo. Jack knelt down and gently picked Halo up. She was still out cold, and bleeding badly. One of her wings had come unfolded, and he noted a huge gash on it-the reason she hadn't flown over the gate. And clasped tightly in her hand was a long knife.

"Open the gate," he commanded.

"Right away, Jack," replied the swamp monster on the other side. A moment later, the gate was wide open, and the Pumpkin King walked through.

AN: Okay! That's chapter 2! Read and Review, you know the drill. Also, I have some ideas for the basic plot, but if you guys have any suggestions, please tell me! I'll give you full credit for any ideas that I use!

Also, thank you to nightbug08 and Ladybirdbuzz1 for reviewing! I love you guys!

Another thing: I won't update again until I get at least 5 reviews. It seems to have worked for other authors, so I'm gonna try it.


	3. Torments in Time

Chapter 3: Torments in Time

Our torments also may in length of time

Become our elements.

-John Milton

Disclaimer: Okay, brief health lesson: John Milton owns the above quote. Tim Burton owns the Nightmare before Christmas. Both of these guys are, in fact, men. I, however, am a girl. Now, I know this is a bit out of the box, and will require a lot of thought on your part, but do the math. I'll give you a hint: I don't own anything. It'd be really nice if I did though.

AN: Oh yes, a brief note from me: for those of you as acutely obsessed with LotR as I am, take a look at the voice of Gollum in the cartoon version of the Hobbit and The Return of the King (they're ancient, but really funny!) The same guy did Gollum and Dr. Finklestien.

* * *

Jack was furious. It had taken some prying and first class scaring, but he finally knew the full story. Wyrna, the swamp monster in charge of the gate at the time, had been chatting with a few of his friends. They were discussing Halo, and how strange it was that such a useless girl like herself could possibly help the town in such a traumatic time. It would be better, they had decided, if she wasn't there at all, always relying on Jack's charity and the townspeople's patience. It was at that time that they heard Halo shouting through the Barricade.

"Open the gate!" she had cried.

"I don't follow your orders, Halo," Wyrna sneered. His buddies had broken out in a mad chorus of laughter, drowning out Halo's pleas. They heard only the desperate pounding on the other side of the gate, and it only made them laugh harder.

It was at that time that Jack had walked by. He heard the wild laughter of the demons beyond the Barricade. He knew that group well, and was familiar with their sadistic nature. Uneasy at their sudden delight, he climbed onto the Barricade to see what was going on.

After chasing the demons away, Jack had taken Halo straight to Dr. Finklestien's, where she was mended, though she hadn't woken until late the next day. Jack then took the liberty of scaring Wyrna and his friends senseless, passing out a few bruises, and informing them that they were never to lock an ally out again if they valued their lives, whether they liked her or not.

Halo woke to the even humming of a sewing machine.

"Sally…? That you…?" she asked, still daze. The humming stopped.

"Oh! Halo, you're awake. That's wonderful," Sally said. Halo's vision cleared, and she saw Sally's worried face hovering over her. Halo felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her, and slumped back against her pillow. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah… say, what's that you're working on?" Halo answered, shaking off the exhaustion. She didn't like Sally being worried over her. She needed to change the subject.

"Oh. Well, those are your new clothes." Sally said. She walked to the sewing machine and lifted up a halter-top, pitch black, with a steel circlet at the top to clasp it to the neck. Halters were the only tops that Halo could wear comfortably, on account of her wings. Sally also held a pair of black skintight breeches.

"They're wonderful! Thank you, Sally!" Halo said, sitting up. But something was wrong. She felt an itch on her hand. She absently scratched it.

Suddenly it came to her. Why would Sally suddenly make her new cloths? And why did she wake up in Sally's home? Her finger touched gauze. She looked down to see her arms and hands wrapped in bandages. She glanced down, and saw that most of her abdomen had been wrapped in gauze, including a part of her right wing…

On the bedside table, she caught sight of a few shredded pieces of black fabric and a large steel ring. The only remnants of her old clothes. Memory flooded back to her. The forest, Pset, her wing taking a blow meant for her heart, the chase, the gate…

"How did I get here?" she asked, her head spinning. Sally put Halo's new clothes down and walked to her friend's side.

"You don't remember?" she said softly.

"I… I remember being at the gate, and the demons were after me… I couldn't get in. Then… nothing. How did I…?"

"You collapsed. The swamp monster in charge of the gate, Wyrma, he and his friends, were talking, and they thought it would be… funny… if you got locked out…"

"Funny. _Funny_? What were they thinking?!"

"They didn't know. They had no idea. But Jack was passing by, and he heard you… and the demons, so he came out, but you had already collapsed. Jack scared off all the demons and carried you here, and, well, the doctor and I fixed you up, and you've been sleeping since then." Sally stopped, letting Halo digest the information. Halo considered what she heard for a moment, rolling it over in her mind. Suddenly her eyes widened, and she stared in horror at the remains of her cloths. Sally caught sight of her expression.

"Don't worry, he didn't see anything," she said hastily. "You were just about caked in blood and dirt and dead leaves and everything. We could barely tell what color your skin was under all that grime."

Halo laughed. "Good. I'm glad my rescuer is such a gentleman," she said.

Because of her demonic blood, Halo healed rapidly, and after three days, only the gash on her wing remained. However, it was enough to keep her from flying, and for her safety, Jack forbade her from sleeping in her tree until it was healed again. She slept at Dr. Finklestien and Sally's, in a spare room on the top floor. Halo was glad. She didn't enjoy staying indoors for long, and sleeping inside… only the presence of her friends made it even slightly bearable. So, clearly, when given the opportunity to go outside during the day, she seized it immediately. Jack, however, also insisted that she take Pset's knife with her when she went out, though he would say no more about it.

Halo was seething. Her wing wasn't healing quickly enough, and while it was injured, she was bound to the ground.

Crippled.

She could no longer watch Pset's forces, no longer gather recognizance. She felt useless. And, being a demon, despair quickly turned into fury.

_It's all my fault!_ She fumed. _If I hadn't opened my big mouth, Pset wouldn't have attacked me like that. I am so stupid! Why can't I control my temper? Why!_ She was so busy beating herself up about her foul temper that she didn't even notice where she was going.

"Hey _angel wings_!" Halo looked up to see Oogie swaggering toward her.

"And I thought things couldn't get any worse," she muttered.

"What, are you gonna fly away again? Oh yes, that's right," Oogie laughed. "You hurt your little angel wings, didn't you? Guess you won't be going anywhere soon!"

"Wanna bet?" Halo hissed, turning on her heel. Oogie grabbed her wrist.

"Yeah, I do," he sneered. A crowd was beginning to form around the two. Oogie laughed. "Oh, who's gonna rescue you now, angel? Who's gonna save you from the Boogie Man this time?"

Halo's anger was building. As if her mood wasn't bad enough, this jerk had to come and make her life even worse. How dare he? _How dare he!_

"Let go of me," she snarled.

"I don't think so, angel wings," Oogie scoffed. But his laughter stopped short as a long steel blade, Pset's knife, settled at his throat.

"You know what, Oogie?" she said, her voice dangerously low. "I have had enough. I have had enough of you. I have had enough of being rescued. I have had enough of being treated like dirt. I am sick and tired of you, and your insults, and your jokes. I have a name, and it isn't angel wings. It isn't black angel, or sweet thing. It's Halo. _Halo_! And you know what? If you have a problem with me, come and say it to my face. You got that? _Come and say it to my face!_" She raised her head and glared into the crowd as her voice raised. Her wings were slightly unfolded, casting dark shadows on her face. "No one's going to rescue me any more. The next one to talk trash about me will deal with me, and me alone. Got that? Now, Oogie… _Get. Your. Hands. Off. Me._" Oogie's hand recoiled immediately. "And know this-if you ever, _ever_ touch me again, _I will cut you into ribbons_." She turned on her heel and marched off.

For a moment there was a stunned silence. Then-applause. Halo hung her head slightly.

_They probably called Jack to calm me down or something,_ she thought wearily. She turned to face Jack. But he wasn't there. Several hands, tentacles, and claws reached out and patted her on the back, and the members of the crowd were grinning.

Halo was confused.

"Wow, Halo," one of the vampires said. "Who knew you could be so frightening!"

"Terrifying!" piped up one of the witches.

"Chilling!" cackled a mummy.

"My blood ran cold!"

_Wait,_ Halo thought. _Are they talking to_ me?

"Good job, Halo!" Cried the mayor.

_Guess they are._ She looked around. Finally she caught sight of Oogie. He was sneaking away, as white as a sheet, his eyes wide. He was scared. Of her, none the less.

"…And then he ran away." Halo told Jack. The two of them were walking through the graveyard the day after the ordeal.

"I believe it." he laughed. "This isn't the first I've heard about it, actually. I hear that you scared quite a lot of people with your little show."

"You knew," she accused. The skeleton grinned.

"Knew what?" he said innocently.

"You knew that would happen, all along, you little sneak," she laughed.

"I did have a hunch…" he said.

"Thank you, Jack," she said with a smile.

"Hello, Halo," one of the witches called. Halo waved and smiled slightly.

"Hello Matilda," she replied. She was standing at the top of the Barricade.

"What are you up to today?" Matilda asked.

"Watching. Waiting."

"Watching for Pset, I assume?"

"Who else?"

"What do you intend to do if you see him?"

"Intend? I intend to beat the tar out of him. Whether or not I'll succeed is another story."

"And if your wing heals before you see him?"

"Then I'll keep scouting for Jack until I find him."

"Don't be so eager to throw away your life, Halo. You know what Pset can do. More, I expect, than anyone else. And you've become so popular in town. It would be a shame to lose all that so soon."

"Maybe you're right." Halo said quietly. "But then, maybe you're wrong. What happens will happen, I guess. But until then, I'll be right here."

"At least you know what you're doing. Oh well. Goodbye, Halo."

"Goodbye, Matilda." The witch turned and walked away. The dim afternoon was beginning to fade into dusk.

"You intend to kill me, then, Halo?" Pset asked, emerging from the trees. His eyes and hair were ghostly white, and he had red stripes running down his face and hands.

"As soon as look at you," Halo said angrily.

"Of course you say that, knowing that I would kill you as soon as look at you?"

"Yup."

"Then that leaves us only two options. We may either stand here and stare at each other until we go blue, or you can come down here and we can kill each other." Pset said, his eyes flashing.

"Then you can go on staring. I'm not moving from this spot."

"Still as stubborn as always, I see."

"Or you could give up,"

"As foolish as you are stubborn."

"You're the fool if you think I'm coming down there."

"Honestly, you don't need to. You'll be back on this side of the gate soon enough."

"What makes you think that?"

"Come now, I know you're more clever than that, Halo. It's the people on that side. If I don't kill you myself, _they_ will."

"I doubt that. They like me a whole lot better now."

"They do now. Your little temper tantrum gained their favor well enough. They seemed to appreciate your scaring a burlap sack with my knife. But just you wait. They'll turn. Your loyalty to that skeleton will be your undoing."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Pset laughed. For a moment, his eyes changed, becoming a frosty gold, and his skin cleared of his war stripes, before he retreated back into the shadows of the trees. Halo climbed down from the top of the Barricade and made her way to Dr. Finklestien's house by moonlight. She wouldn't tell Jack about her conversation until she had sifted it out herself. She would spare him the headache.

Sleep was fleeting for Halo that night. She couldn't get comfortable against the soft mattress, so used to sleeping in the sturdy branches of trees. Something else crawled on the edge of her mind. Something wasn't right. Something… but she couldn't quite grasp it. She woke several times, knowing she had almost uncovered it, but whatever it was slipped from her brain at the last moment.

Then, just before dawn, she sat up out of sleep, her eyes wide. She understood. She finally understood.

* * *

AN: Lots of dialogue in this one, so it isn't quite as long as the other chapters. Oh well. It makes about no sense. Oh yes, and for my loyal reviewers (mountains of chocolate to each of you), a little poll: should I add any romances to the story? If so, who should it be between? 


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